BENGALURU: Amidst tight security, elected representatives being conspicuous by their absence and protests by BJP, Tipu Jayanti celebrations were held across the state on Saturday. While official celebrations of the state government were held at the Banquet Hall, Vidhana Soudha, both Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy CM G Parameshwara and JD(S) leaders gave it a miss citing various reasons, making it a low-key, Congress-only affair.
After Kumaraswamy cited health reasons to skip the event, state’s official celebrations suffered another setback in the morning, as Parameshwara, who was scheduled to inaugurate it in the CM’s absence, did not turn up. In their absence, Water Resources and Medical Education Minister D K Shivakumar inaugurated the celebrations.
According to the organisers, though Parameshwara was scheduled to attend the event, he did not do so due to “miscommunication” regarding the schedule of the event. B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, said that Parameshwara was in Singapore visiting the ailing former minister C Chennigappa.
Though Legislative Council pro-tem speaker and JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti was among the invitees, he also did not participate.In Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada, several protesters were detained by police and Rapid Action Force personnel.In Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts, several protesters were detained by police and Rapid Action Force personnel.
The Tipu Jayanti Virodhi Samiti, demonstrating against the celebrations, launched their protest by remembering Kuttappa, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad member who was killed in a riot at Madikeri during Tipu Jayanthi celebrations in 2015.
The protesters shouted slogans against the state government and Tipu Sultan in Madikeri. As many as 100 protesters were detained by Rapid Action Force personnel as a security measure. There was trouble during the official celebrations in Madikeri and Mangaluru. Ahead of the celebrations at Madikeri Fort auditorium, a few elected representatives were denied entry to the venue for not possessing invites.
Though they were allowed to enter eventually, BJP MLC Sunil Subramani caused an unrest by taking over the microphone. He was escorted out of the auditorium by the police and was later detained. In Mangaluru, where JD(S) MLCs BM Farooq and Bhojegowda skipped the event, BJP leader Franklin Monteiro, along with over 60 right-wing activists, were taken into preventive custody for trying to forcibly enter the venue.
In Shivamogga, prohibitory orders were clamped across the city and the Kuvempu Ranga Mandira turned into a fortress on Saturday. District Minister and JD(S) leader D C Thammanna, who was scheduled to inaugurate the event, skipped it.
BJP legislators were also absent. In Karwar and Yellapur as well, several people were taken into preventive custody for carrying out rallies and protests.In Kolar, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Hassan, the celebrations were held peacefully.